Having gutters on your house should help you to keep water issues from being a big deal. The gutters are designed to direct the water toward the downspout.
The water should be directed toward some type of storm drain. So you shouldn’t be dealing with standing water anywhere near your home if the gutters are functioning as intended.
What does it mean when you find standing water in the gutters? How can you determine what is wrong?
Continue reading to learn about how to fix standing water in gutters. You’ll also understand what causes standing water in gutters in the first place.
Why Do You Have Standing Water in the Gutters?
There are a few different things that could be happening when you have standing water in the gutters. Determining what is wrong is important when you want to turn things around.
Below, you’ll learn about the different causes. You can compare the causes to your situation so you can determine what’s going on.
Gutters That Aren’t Properly Pitched
It could be that your gutters aren’t properly pitched. When gutters aren’t properly pitched it can cause various issues.
There could be issues with the roof pitch that are causing there to be flat spots somewhere along the gutters. It might not be possible to fix this issue directly.
This is because it’s likely related to a problem with the roof itself. The roof isn’t pitched properly and it makes it so the gutters can’t be installed 100% as intended.
You can still fix the problems that you’re having with standing water, though. Typically, you just need to install downspouts in more locations.
Often, people only install one downspout when installing gutters. It might be necessary to have several downspouts if you have issues with the gutters not being properly pitched.
You’ll need to have downspouts installed at the spots where the gutters are flat. This allows the water to drain properly instead of pooling in those spots.
It’s a nice and simple fix to issues with pitching. You can get more downspouts at the local hardware store and then install them as necessary.
If you don’t wish to install things yourself, you can contact a local company to do the work. They can also give you advice on whether anything else needs to be addressed.
In some cases, re-pitching the gutters might be necessary. You can do this yourself or you can get experts to do the work for you.
Saggy Gutters
Saggy gutters could be to blame for the standing water issues. It could be that your gutters simply aren’t hanging properly.
When you hang the gutters up you use hangers that attach the gutters to the fascia of your home. Sometimes these hangers will malfunction or you’ll use hangers that aren’t quite right for the job.
For example, the hangers might not be capable of hanging onto the weight of the gutters. The weight of the gutters is a bit too much and this causes them to sag instead of hanging properly.
When the gutters are sagging it’ll make it so the water will pool. In the spots where the sagging is the worst, the water won’t be able to flow properly.
You’ll have standing water that won’t travel toward the downspout. It can be a real problem that you’ll need to address fast.
Thankfully, fixing this issue is as easy as hanging the gutters up better. You might simply need to use better hangers or add more hangers.
Ensure that the gutters are attached to the fascia properly. This should prevent them from sagging in the future.
It’s also important to check to see if anything is weighing the gutters down. There could be debris present that is causing the gutters to sag.
Address these issues and all will be well. You can turn things around and get rid of the standing water.
Problems with Clogged Gutters
It could be that your gutters are simply clogged. When the gutters are clogged it can cause issues with water pooling.
You might see standing water in the gutters at various locations. If you climb a ladder and take a look, it’s possible that you’ll see debris stuck in the gutters.
Over time, the gutters are going to get clogged with various types of debris. This is normal, and you’re supposed to clean the gutters every so often.
It’s said that cleaning the gutters twice per year should be enough to keep things working well. So you should take the time to clean the gutters out every six months.
If you don’t do this, leaves will get stuck in the gutters. Aside from leaves, you might find twigs, acorns, pine cones, and all sorts of other things in the gutters.
There are many ways that you can approach cleaning the gutters out. Most people choose to simply climb a ladder and pull the debris out.
You can lay tarps down on the grass to protect your lawn and garden areas. Then you throw the debris down toward the ground and clean it up after you’re finished.
If you don’t like climbing ladders, it’s possible to clean the gutters from the ground. You can use a hose attachment to try to blow the debris out of the gutters.
Another idea involves using a telescoping cleaning tool that will allow you to grab the debris or push it out. You can buy these types of cleaning tools online or at various department stores.
Some people even use power washers or wet/dry vacuums to clean the gutters. You can buy attachments for them that will allow you to reach the gutters while staying on the ground.
No matter how you decide to approach cleaning the gutters, it’s important to do your best to do the job right. Be thorough and make sure that the gutters are not obstructed at all.
Remember that the downspout can also become clogged. So you’ll need to check the downspout and remove debris from there as well.
The Potential for Roof Damage
What happens if you don’t address problems with standing water in the gutters? Well, it could lead to your roof becoming damaged.
Constant exposure to standing water is certainly not good for your roof. The areas where water is present will become quite problematic.
Over time, the roof is going to become damaged. You might eventually notice problems with the water leaking through the roof.
This should be motivation to fix any problems with standing water as soon as you can. Another reason to do so is that the damage won’t stop at just your roof.
If the clogs and other issues continue to cause water to pool on the gutters, it can start damaging other parts of your home. It’s common for issues like this to cause damage to the siding.
Your home’s siding could get completely ruined if you ignore such problems. Even the foundation could become damaged when things are left unresolved.
It’s important to take action today to fix the gutters. You might simply need to unclog them or you might need to hang them up better.
Either way, you can’t ignore the issue and expect that all will be well. You need to be proactive as a homeowner to protect your investment.
Consider Trimming Trees Near Your Home
Trimming the trees near your home can help you to prevent severe issues with clogging. Leaves and twigs are the most common types of debris that will cause gutter blockage.
If you trim the trees, it won’t be as likely that your gutters will become severely blocked. So it’s worthwhile to have the trees trimmed every so often.
Some people even go so far as to remove trees that are too close to their homes. Keep this in mind and make good choices that can protect your gutters.
Install Gutter Guards
Have you looked into installing gutter guards yet? Gutter guards are special guards that can prevent large pieces of debris from getting in the gutters.
So big leaves, sticks, and other types of debris won’t be an issue any longer. Cleaning the gutters will be far easier when you install these guards.
Also, the gutters won’t get clogged so the water should always flow as intended. This will prevent issues with pooling water and you won’t have to worry nearly as much.
You should still clean the gutters a few times per year. Remove debris from on top of the gutters.
Final Thoughts
It should be easier to figure out what to do now. You’ve learned why standing water can be an issue.
Standing water in the gutters can potentially damage your roof and your home. You need to determine what is wrong and fix things in a timely fashion.
Do your best to keep the gutters clear of debris. Make sure that they aren’t sagging due to not being hung to the fascia properly.
If there are any issues with the pitch, you might need to fix that or install more downspouts. If you utilize the advice above, it should be simple enough to keep your gutters in working order.
It might also be wise to consider installing gutter guards. You want to do all that you can to make things easy for yourself and protect your home.
I have a bachelor’s degree in Computer Information Systems and over 10 years of experience working in IT. As a homeowner, I love working on projects around the house, and as a father, I love investigating various ways to keep my family safe (whether or not this involves tech). I’ve also played guitar for almost 20 years and love writing music, although it’s hard to find the time these days.